Board game apparatus

ABSTRACT

A game whose object is to advance one or more markers from the bottom of a game board to the top thereof prior to one&#39;&#39;s opponent has a generally triangular game board with horizontally and vertically spaced apertures for receiving player markers. The board is translucent so that players may observe each other through opposed faces of the game board. The players advance their markers in accordance with the position of other markers on the boards, as well as in accordance with the state of a chance element such as a die. In so advancing, they may knock the opponent&#39;&#39;s markers off the board to thereby force his beginning again from the bottom. Barriers may be used to limit access to selected apertures.

United States Patent 1191 Madonna, Jr. et al.

1451 Sept. 16, 1975 BOARD GAME APPARATUS [22] Filed: June 24, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 482,022

Friedman 273/130 A D222,485 10/1971 Grant 273/136 C UX Primary Examiner-Delbert B. Lowe Attorney, Agent, or FirmCesari and McKenna 5 7] ABSTRACT A game whose object is to advance one or more markers from the bottom of a game board to the top thereof prior to ones opponent has a generally triangular game board with horizontally and vertically spaced apertures for receiving player markers. The board is translucent so that players may observe each other through opposed faces of the game board. The players advance their markers in accordance with the position of other markers on the boards, as well as in accordance with the state of a chance element such as a die. In so advancing, they may knock the opponents markers off the board to thereby force his beginning again from the bottom. Barriers may be used to limit access to selected apertures,

15 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures BOARD GAME APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A. Field of the Invention The invention relates to a game, and, more particularly, comprises a game induding a game board and player markers for advancement over the game board toward a goal.

B. Prior Art In constructing an acceptable playing game, it is desirable to achieve a balance between pure skill and pure chance so as to provide an opportunity for persons of all ages, skill levels, and abilities to achieve the stated goals of the game (win) with at least a minimal frequency, while at the same time providing at least some advantage to persons of greater playing skill. Further, it is desirable to combine conditions which create and maintain at least a certain level of tension within the players, to thereby add to the playability of the game.

In many games presently available, either the elements of chance or the elements of skill excessively predominate, and there is frequently little balance between the two. Further, the elements of tension are often minimal.

Games also provide the opportunity for therapy, as well as for amusement. Thus, it is desirable that the game be effectively playable by participants of a wide range of ages and abilities. This means that the game must be simple enough to be readily understood and played by the young and those of limited abilities, while offering sufficient challenge to hold the interest of older participants or those of greater abilities. It is difiiculty to obtain these features in many of the game presently available. 7 I

As skill in a game increases, the challenge frequently decreases. Often there is no convenient opportunity for modifying the game to change its complexity without extensively changing the rules.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A. Objects of the Invention Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an interesting game.

Further, it is an object of the invention to provide an interesting game having relatively simple apparatus and rules.

Another object of the invention is to provide a game which balances the elements of chance and skill during play.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a game providing interaction between the opponents through permitted manipulation of the opponents playing pieces, to thereby provide an element of tension in the game.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a game of simple design and construction that is playable by players of a wide span of age and ability.

A further object of the invention is to provide a game having adjustable playing elements to modify the games difficulty in accordance with the players desires.

B. Brief Description of the Invention The game of the present invention is a realization of the childrens game King Of The Mountain. It is formed from a planar playingboard, generally triangular in shape, and having a multiplicity of apertures extending through the board from one face thereof to the other through the thin dimension of the board. The apertures are spaced from each other and positioned to define horizontal rows and vertical columns when the playing board is mounted in a vertical position, with the apex of the triangle uppermost. Supports are provided to maintain the board in this position. The board is preferably translucent, and the players sit facing each other with the board placed between them and separating them, so that they view each other through the board.

The game includes a number ,of markers or pegs which the players initially place in the lowermost row of apertures on the side of the board nearest them. They advance these pegs towards the uppermost aperture (apex) of the board in response to the condition of a chance-determining element such as a 'die and in accordance with certain rules to be described in detail hereinafter. The object of the game is to become King Of The Mountain that is, to move one or more of ones own pegs to the apex prior to ones opponent.

In advancing a peg, the players must continually make selections among a multiplicity of possible moves permitted by the different states of the chancedetermining element and rules of the game, and thus the game combines the elements of chance with the utilization of innate or acquired skill. Further, in addition to advancing his own peg, a player may knock off from the board any peg of the opponent on which he lands during a given move, and thereby force his opponent to renew his advance of this peg from the bottom of the board. The possibility of removing an opponents peg in this manner provides interaction with the opponent and generates a desirable element of tension.

In one embodiment of the invention, each player has several pegs (e.g., four) and may move these pegs horizontally and vertically from any aperture allowed by his throw of the die and not otherwise blocked by his own or an opponents peg. The first player to advance one peg to the apex wins. In another embodiment of the invention, barriers are provided which block portions of the playing board and thus restrict peg movement on the board. This increases the difficulty of advancing up the board, and increases the challenge of the game as well as its playing time. Preferably, the barriers can be located in any of numerous positions on the board so as to allow the players to accomodate the difficult of the game to their desires and abilities.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The foregoing and other and further objects and features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a playing board in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view along the lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view in perspective of playing pieces used in the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective of a modified form of a playing board in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a view in perspective of a play-modifying element in accordance with the present invention.

In FIG. 1, a playing board is formed from a thin planar sheet of translucent or transparent material such as Lucite and having a stepped triangular shape. The board is supported in an erect or vertical position by means of feet 12 and 12', respectively, located at the extreme side edges thereof. For ease of construction, the feet 12, 12' are preferably formed of a single solid sheet of stiffened material having notches l4, 14 respectively, into which corresponding notches 16, 16 respectively on the remote edges of the board fit to pro vide a rigid support for maintaining the board erect.

A number of apertures 20 extend through the board from one face thereof to the other and are spaced apart from each other both vertically and horizontally. Preferably, the apertures are aligned both horizontally and vertically to form horizontal rows such as the row 22 and vertical columns such as the column 24. These apertures serve as stations through which a player moves during the course of the game. The players progress is marked by means of pegs 26 (see FIG. 3) which snugly fit into the apertures and can be inserted into, and removed therefrom, at will by the players in accordance with the rules of the game. One or more chance-determining elements such as a die 28 (FIG. 3) is provided to regulate the moves of the players.

As an example of a preferred embodiment of the game, the board 10 has eight double rows of apertures extending horizontally across the board and one single row at the apex or top of the board. The lowermost double rows have 17 apertures therein, the next lowermost double rows have apertures, the next 13, etc., until the apex is reached; this contains only a single aperture. Thus, the number of apertures decreases in the vertical direction. The board is approximately 17 inches wide and 17 inches high and translucent so that players facing the board from opposite faces view the opponent and his markers through the board.

The rules of the game are quite simple and are summarized as follows:

1. The players position themselves on opposite sides of the playing board, facing each other, and distribute the pegs alloted them (e.g., four pegs per player) horizontally across the bottom row of the playing board so that the players pegs alternate in this row proceeding from one edge of the board to the other. In one symmetric distribution each player starts with his pegs at stations 1, 5, 11, and 15 counting from his left; this re sults in the distribution shown in FIG. 1.

2. After determining (such as by rolling a die) who is to move first, the players take turns moving their pegs, each player moving only one peg during a given turn or move." The number of spaces a player may advance during a move is determined by a chance element such as the die 28.

3. During a move, a player may move his peg horizontally or vertically or both (but not downwardly) in any combination and through any number of stations" (apertures) up to the number indicated on the die but may not pass through any station occupied by his own peg or that of his opponent. A player must advance his lowermost peg first if able to do sot If two pegs are on the same level, he may advance either peg first if able to do so.

4. A move may terminate at any station occupied by an opponents peg; the opponents peg is thereby displaced or knocked off the board and it must be placed by the opponent on the bottom row of the board directly below the station from which it was removed.

5. The first to reach the apex is King Of The Mountain and wins.

A game in accordance with the foregoing rules and on the game board shown in FIG. I typically takes two adults from about 15 to 20 minutes to complete. If games of a somewhat longer time are desired, the game board of FIG. 1 may be modified as shown in accordance with FIGS. 4 and 5. In FIG. 4, the game board 10, which is identical to that shown in FIG. 1, has a number of barriers 40 disposed at various positions on the face thereof. These barriers are preferably of contrasting color to that of the board 10 and clearly mark off selected stations or apertures in which moves are prohibited. I

A typical barrier is shown in FIG. 5 and comprises a flap shaped section 40 having one or more feet 42 extending from the rear face thereof for engagement with corresponding appertures in the board 10. These barriers have at least one foot 42 for fastening onto the board and may have as many feet 42 as there are apertures covered by the barrier. These may be positioned on one side of the board only as shown on FIG. 4 or, for even greater variety of play, may be positioned at differing locations and with differing shapes on the opposite faces of the board to thereby allow variation of the difficulty presented by the game to each player, and thus provide for a handicap if desired.

Corresponding to the variation in the game-board configuration, one may also vary the playing rules in connection with the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. These rulesare the same as the rules set forth above, with the following exceptions:

l. A player may begin the game by moving any piece from the bottom row.

2. A move may be made in any direction, vertically upwards or downwards, horizontally, or diagonally, but a player may move only the exact number of stations shown on the die.

3. When a peg is knocked off the board, the player whose peg it is must place the peg at the farthest (measured from the center) unoccupied position at the bottom row from which his peg originally started.

4. The first player to move all four of his pieces to the top of the mountain is the winner and King Of The Mountain.

It will be understood that numerous changes may be made in both the rules and the physical configuration of the game while still retaining the essence of the invention heretofore described. For example, the board 10 may be vertically erected by means of a single slotted rectangular base extending the width of the board and replacing the feet 12 of FIG. 1. Feet of different size, shape and location may also replace the feet 12 shown in that figure. The board may be made transparent in selected areas only, and competition by removal of the opponents pegs may be limited to these areas. The same effect may be achieved by appropriate positioning of the barriers shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Differing forms of markers may be used, and indeed the apertures in the playing board may be replaced by other types of stations, e. g., by magnets or by magnetizeable media usable in combination with magnets. Various other changes will suggest themselves to those of ordinary skill in the art, and it is intended that the foregoing be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense,

the scope of the invention being defined with particularity in the appended claims.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It will be apparent from the foregoing that we have provided an interesting, playable game combining the elements of chance and skill in reasonable proportions and appealing to persons of a wide span of ages, interests and abilities. The game is readily modified in accordance with the interests of the players to present greater or lesser challenge, difficulty and playing time s. lts rules are quickly mastered and the game requires only a limited number of playing pieces.

Having illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, we claim:

1. A game for two or more players, comprising A. a game board l. of generally thin planar configuration having a pair of opposed faces thereon 2. having means associated therewith for maintaining said board in vertically erect position when placed therein 3. having means defining a plurality of horizontally and vertically spaced stations on said opposed faces, the horizontal density of said stations decreasing from a lower edge of said board to an upper edge thereof,

B. a plurality of markers for placement at selected stations on opposed faces of said board by players facing the respective opposed faces in accordance with one of a selected group of allowed moves defined by the position of other markers on said board and the condition of a chance device, and

c. at least one chance device.

2. A game according to claim 1 in which said stations are aligned in horizontal rows, the stations of adjacent rows forming vertically aligned columns.

3. A game according to claim 1 in which said stations comprise apertures extending through said board from one opposed face to the other for receiving markers therein.

4. A game according to claim 3 in which said markers comprise pegs having a shaft for fitting into said apertures.

5. A game according to claim 1 in which said board is at least partly of translucent material whereby players facing opposed faces of said board may see the opposing player and at least some of his markers therethrough.

6. A game according to claim 1 wherein said board is translucent whereby players facing opposite faces thereof may see the opposing player and his markers therethrough.

7. A game according to claim 6 wherein the vertical and horizontal dimensions of said board are of sufficient extent to preclude viewing the face of an opposing player positioned at an opposing face thereof other than through said board.

8. A game according to claim 7 in which said board is triangular in shape, the apex of said triangle being uppermost when said board is erected for play.

9. A game according to claim 1 which includes a plurality of barriers for positioning on said board for limiting the stations at which a marker may be placed.

10. A game according to claim 9 1. in which said stations comprise apertures extending through said board from one opposing face thereof to the other for receiving markers therein, and

2. in which said barriers comprise a. means forming an extended surface for obscuring a plurality of stations, and

b. at least one shaft extending from said surface for placement within a selected aperture to thereby secure said barrier to said board.

11. In combination with a plurality of markers and a chance determining means regulating the disposition of said markers with respect to a game board, the invention comprising a game board A. of thin planar configuration and adapted for vertical erection during play,

B. having means defining a plurality of horizontally and vertically spaced stations grouped in horizontal rows on opposed faces thereof for the reception of markers thereat, the number of said stations in said rows decreasing in the vertical direction,

C. formed to render visible on one face of said board markers disposed on the opposed face thereof whereby players stationing markers on opposed faces may observe the opposing players markers during the course of a game played thereon.

12. A game board according to claim 11 in which said stations comprise apertures extending at least partly through the opposed faces of said board and aligned in horizontal rows.

13. A game board according to claim 11 in which said stations comprise apertures extending through said board from one opposed face thereof to the other and aligned in horizontal rows.

14. A game board according to claim 11 formed of translucent material whereby players facing opposed faces thereof may observe the other player and his markers.

15. A game board according to claim 11 which includes a plurality of barriers for positioning over selected stations to thereby limit movement of said markers to stations not covered by said barriers. 

1. in which said stations comprise apertures extending through said board from one opposing face thereof to the other for receiving markers therein, and
 1. of generally thin planar configuration having a pair of opposed faces thereon
 1. A game for two or more players, comprising A. a game board
 2. having means associated therewith for maintaining said board in vertically erect position when placed therein
 2. in which said barriers comprise a. means forming an extended surface for obscuring a plurality of stations, and b. at least one shaft extending from said surface for placement within a selected aperture to thereby secure said barrier to said board.
 2. A game according to claim 1 in which said stations are aligned in horizontal rows, the stations of adjacent rows forming vertically aligned columns.
 3. having means defining a plurality of horizontally and vertically spaced stations on said opposed faces, the horizontal density of said stations decreasing from a lower edge of said board to an upper edge thereof, B. a plurality of markers for placement at selected stations on opposed faces of said board by players facing the resPective opposed faces in accordance with one of a selected group of allowed moves defined by the position of other markers on said board and the condition of a chance device, and c. at least one chance device.
 3. A game according to claim 1 in which said stations comprise apertures extending through said board from one opposed face to the other for receiving markers therein.
 4. A game according to claim 3 in which said markers comprise pegs having a shaft for fitting into said apertures.
 5. A game according to claim 1 in which said board is at least partly of translucent material whereby players facing opposed faces of said board may see the opposing player and at least some of his markers therethrough.
 6. A game according to claim 1 wherein said board is translucent whereby players facing opposite faces thereof may see the opposing player and his markers therethrough.
 7. A game according to claim 6 wherein the vertical and horizontal dimensions of said board are of sufficient extent to preclude viewing the face of an opposing player positioned at an opposing face thereof other than through said board.
 8. A game according to claim 7 in which said board is triangular in shape, the apex of said triangle being uppermost when said board is erected for play.
 9. A game according to claim 1 which includes a plurality of barriers for positioning on said board for limiting the stations at which a marker may be placed.
 10. A game according to claim 9
 11. In combination with a plurality of markers and a chance determining means regulating the disposition of said markers with respect to a game board, the invention comprising a game board A. of thin planar configuration and adapted for vertical erection during play, B. having means defining a plurality of horizontally and vertically spaced stations grouped in horizontal rows on opposed faces thereof for the reception of markers thereat, the number of said stations in said rows decreasing in the vertical direction, C. formed to render visible on one face of said board markers disposed on the opposed face thereof whereby players stationing markers on opposed faces may observe the opposing player''s markers during the course of a game played thereon.
 12. A game board according to claim 11 in which said stations comprise apertures extending at least partly through the opposed faces of said board and aligned in horizontal rows.
 13. A game board according to claim 11 in which said stations comprise apertures extending through said board from one opposed face thereof to the other and aligned in horizontal rows.
 14. A game board according to claim 11 formed of translucent material whereby players facing opposed faces thereof may observe the other player and his markers.
 15. A game board according to claim 11 which includes a plurality of barriers for positioning over selected stations to thereby limit movement of said markers to stations not covered by said barriers. 